1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, information processing apparatus control program, and information processing apparatus control method, which copy or recover the contents of a system partition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when a trouble occurs in a system of an information processing apparatus such as a PC (Personal Computer), a recovery using portable recording media such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM or a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is taken as a method for recovering a factory-default state of a partition including an OS or a state at a particular time point after staring use of the system.
In case of an information processing apparatus using a portable recording medium for recovery, an emergency OS (Operating System) and an image file which has copied in advance a system partition of a factory default or at a particular time point after starting use of the system are created. In a system trouble, the emergency OS is started up from the portable recording medium, and the image file is copied from the portable recording medium to the system partition. The system partition is thus recovered.
In other case of an information processing apparatus using a HDD for recovery, an image file of a system partition of a factory default or at a particular time point after starting use of the system is created in advance in a region other than the system partition. In a system trouble, the user takes a particular operation at the time of restart, and thereby starts up an emergency OS stored in advance on a hidden partition or a portable recording medium. Thereafter, the image file stored in the hidden partition is copied onto the system partition, thereby to recover the system partition.
A known conventional technique relevant to the present invention is, for example, Japanese Patent application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-280914. An information device and a recording medium according to this publication include a first partition which stores a normal program, a second partition which stores a recovery program to recover an initial state of the program on the first partition, a boot block which starts up from one of the partitions, and a startup partition switching program which instructs a partition to be started up in the boot block. A BIOS functions to start up the startup partition switching program if a particular input operation is conducted when turning on the power.
In an information processing apparatus using a portable recording medium for recovery, the user has to operate the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), for example, the user needs to change setting of the BIOS, in order to start up an emergency OS, in a system trouble. However, users who have not enough knowledge cannot operate the BIOS in some cases. Alternatively, if the portable recording medium for recovery is lost or damaged, recovery of the system is impossible.
In another information processing apparatus which uses a HDD for recovery, the user has to conduct a particular operation after turning on the power or startup of the BIOS, in order to start up an emergency OS, in a system trouble. Users who have not enough knowledge cannot operate the BIOS in some cases. Alternatively, if an image file stored on a hidden partition is damaged, the system cannot be recovered.
In order to start up the emergency OS, a startup program existing in the head sector of the HDD and the head sector of the system partition is required. If the head sector of the HDD or the head sector of the system partition is damaged, recovery of the system is impossible.
When a system is copied, there are files that are not accessible during running of the system. Therefore, the user has to shut down the normal OS and starts up the emergency OS, and then has to conduct an operation of copying the contents of the system partition. Users who have not enough knowledge cannot work out such an operation.